he can't help it. Why, she'd witch the devil into leading her to
the altar if she took a notion to have him for her bridegroom."

"There would be consistency in that," muttered the fellow just
addressed. "But Mr. Frederick--"

"Hush! There's some one on the doorstep. Why, it's she!"

They all glanced back. The graceful figure of a young girl dressed
in white was to be seen leaning toward them from the open doorway.
Behind her shone a blaze of light--the candles not having been yet
extinguished in the hall--and against this brilliant background
her slight form, with all its bewitching outlines, stood out in
plain relief.

"Who was that?" she began in a high, almost strident voice,
totally out of keeping with the sensuous curves of her strange,
sweet face. But the question remained unanswered, for at that
moment her attention, as well as that of the men lingering at the
gate, was attracted by the sound of hurrying feet and confused
cries coming up the hill.

"Murder! Murder!" was the word panted out by more than one harsh
voice; and in another instant a dozen men and boys came rushing
into sight in a state of such excitement that the five musicians
recoiled from the gate, and one of them went so far as to start
back toward the house. As he did so he noticed a curious thing.
The young woman whom they had all perceived standing in the door a
moment before had vanished, yet she was known to possess the
keenest curiosity of any one in town.